Sestrinski glasnik, Vol. 30 No. 2, 2025.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.11608/sgnj.30.2.1
Sleep quality of medical dispatchers: cross-sectional study
Larisa Žula
orcid.org/0009-0003-2115-4228
; Medicinska dispečerska služba, dispečerski centar Maribor, Trg Leona Štuklja 10, 2 000 Maribor, Slovenija /Sveučilište u Mariboru, Fakultet zdravstvenih znanosti, Žitna ulica 15, 2 000 Maribor, Slovenija
*
Dominika Vrbnjak
orcid.org/0000-0003-4952-078X
; Sveučilište u Mariboru, Fakultet zdravstvenih znanosti, Žitna ulica 15, 2 000 Maribor, Slovenija
Kasandra Musović
orcid.org/0000-0001-7535-3175
; Sveučilište u Mariboru, Fakultet zdravstvenih znanosti, Žitna ulica 15, 2 000 Maribor, Slovenija
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Introduction: Medical dispatchers play a crucial role in providing professional medical assistance over the phone, offering support and guidance to callers in life-threatening situations. Since the dispatch service operates continuously, employees work in shifts. This study aims to investigate the sleep quality of medical dispatchers who work shifts. The research contributes to expanding knowledge about the effects of shift work on sleep in this specific and understudied professional context.
Methods: A cross-sectional study involved purposive sampling to survey medical dispatchers working in shift-based roles at the medical dispatch service. Data were collected between July and August 2023 using the Sleep Quality Scale questionnaire, which assesses six areas of sleep quality over the past month: Daytime dysfunction, Restoration after sleep, Difficulty falling asleep, Difficulty getting up, Satisfaction with sleep, and Difficulty maintaining sleep. The data were processed and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29. Data were processed and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29, employing descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: 59 dispatchers participated in the study; 52.5% rated their sleep quality as poor. The highest average score was recorded for the statement I have a clear head after sleep (M = 1.81). The subscale with the highest score was Daytime dysfunction (M = 9.86; SD = 6.88). Other prominent subscales included Restoration after sleep (M = 5.66), Difficulty in getting up (M = 4.17), and Satisfaction with sleep (M = 3.70). The lowest scores were observed for Difficulty in maintaining sleep (M = 2.71) and Difficulty in falling asleep (M = 3.29). No statistically significant differences in overall sleep quality were found by age, gender, or years of service.
Discussion and Conclusion: More than half of the dispatchers perceive their sleep as poor, with daytime dysfunction emerging as the most pronounced area of disturbance. The findings indicate a need for targeted interventions, such as optimising shift schedules and educating about sleep hygiene, to mitigate the negative impact of shift work on their daily functioning.
Keywords
sleep quality; medical dispatchers; shift work
Hrčak ID:
334414
URI
Publication date:
18.8.2025.
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